Stereopticon



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN A. n! VRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE VRYCORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STEREOPTICON.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed January 24,- 1920. Serial No. 353,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN A. DE VRY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stereopticons, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' The invention relates to stereopticons.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved stereopticon whichis adapted to be contained in a comparatively small carrying case sothat it can be easily transported. Another object is to provide animproved folding stereopticon. A further object of the invention is toprovide an improved stereopticon-of this type in which the use ofbellows is avoided. A still further object of the invention is toprovide improved means for holding a picture or transparent plate infocused or operative position between the lamp-house and the projectinglens.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter setforth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a plan, the top cover being open to-showthe operating parts folded in thecase. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, thecase being shown in section,

the operative parts being folded into the case. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection and Fig. 4 is a vertical section, the lamp-house, plateholderand condenser being in operative position. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection and Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the condenser andplate-holder. Fig. 7 is a perspective showing the folded stereopticon.

A carrying case 9 is adapted to contain the operative parts of thestereopticon for convenience in transportation and is adapted to holdthem in connected operated relation when they are unfolded. The casecomprises a bottom 10, side-walls 11 and a front 12 which are rigidlysecured together, a top 13 which is hinged, at 14, to one of the sides11 and is providedwith pendant side and end flanges 15 and is adapted tobe locked in closed position by suitable latches 16 and a back 18 whichis hinged to the bottom 10, as at 19, so the back can be swungbackwardly into horizontal position. A carrying handle 17 is connectedto the top 13.

A projector-lens 20 is mounted in a tube 21 which is slidably held in atubular portion 22 of a carrier 23 which is fixed in the case andsecured, as at 24, to the front 12 of the case. An adjusting screw 28 issuitably connected to the tube 21 to 'move the lens into correctposition. An opening 25 is formed in the front 12 of the case for theprojection of the picture. A plate 26, which is pivoted to a ferrule 27secured in the front 12, is adapted to close the opening 25.

A lamp-house 30 is fixedly mounted to the inner face of the hinged back18 of the case and comprises perforated sides 31 and top 32, afront-wall 33 and a slide 34 which forms the back of the lamp-house. Anincandescent lamp 36 is held in a socket 37 which is secured to the back18 of the case. A casing 38 fixed to the lamp-house and foldable withsaid house and back 18 contains condenser-lenses 39. A transparency orpicture holder is secured to the case 38 so that it is foldable withback 18 and comprises extensions 40 of the side walls of casing 38, abottom ledge 45, strips 41 which are adapted to engage the back marginsof the plate 42 and a pair of guides 43 which are yieldably supported onthe resilient strips 44 which are secured to casing 38. Theupper-portions of the strips 41 are curved to direct a plate intoposition to be engaged by the guides 43 and the upper portions of saidguides are curved for the same purpose. The inner or operative faces ofthe guides 43 are V-shaped or oppositely inclined, so that a plateseated on the strips 41 will be yieldingly held in contact against saidstrips by the convergent edges of the guides, and when the plate ismoved away from the strips 41 and past the apices of the guides, thedivergent edges will press against the rear edges of the plate and tendto displace it forwardly to cause it to fall into the position indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 4. When the bottom of a plate 42 rests uponledge 45 and is held by the guides 43, it will be 1n correct positionfor projection. Retainers 46 are adapted to receive the plates displacedforwardly from the guides 43 and to retain them at an inclined positionso that it will be completely out of focus and will prevent projectionof a picture on a' plate in the holder until the inclined plate isremoved. When the plate is held in the holder, as shown in Fig. 4. andit is desired to replace it by another, the operator will insert anotherplate between the one in the holder and the strips 41. This will forcethe first plate forwardly beyond the grip of guides 43. Placement of thesecond plate into position will automatically displace the previouslyheld plate forwardly, the guides 43 yielding laterally to permit thefirst plate to be forced forwardly and as soon as the first plate hasbeen released, the guides will automatically hold the second plate. Thereleased plate will fall upon retainers 46 and remain there.

When the carrying-case is closed, the lamp-house, condenser andplate-holder will be inclosed and folded, as shown in Fig. 2, the back18 serving as a back closure for the case and as a support for rigidlysecuring the parts mounted thereon in the case. A conductor-cord 48,electrically connected: to the contacts in the socket 87, will be coiledin the space in front of the lamphouse and above the lens-carrier 23, asshown in Fig. 2. A screw-plug 49 is connected to this conductor to adaptthe stereopticon for connection to an ordinary switch socket. Across-bar 50 is secured to the case-sides 11 near the top thereof toprevent them from spreading and the cord 48 may be laid over said bar.

When it is desired to use the stereopticon, the top 13 will be unlatchedand swung to one side of the case. This will cause the flange 15 on thecover to release the back 18 so that the operator can swing it and thelamp-house, condenser and plate-holder backwardly and out of the case,so that the back 18 will constitute, in effect, a. continuation of thebottom 10 of the case. In order to positively secure the lamp, condenserand plate-holder in correct or predetermined relation to theprojector-lens, a locking bar 51 is hinged, as at 52, to a. lug 53 onthe back 18, is provided with a slot 54 for a stud 55 which is fixed toone of the case sides 11. The locking bar 51 is acted upon by a spring57 tending to press it backwardly and the upper and front of the slot 54is angled to interlock with the stud 55 so that when the back 18 reachedthe predetermined position, the bar 51 will automatically lock it.Stopcleats 58 for the back 18 are secured to the sides 11 of'the case.

It will thus be seen that in order to render the stereopticon operative,it is only necessary to swing the back 18 with the lamphouse, condenserand plate-holder thereon out of the case. To fold the stereopticon fortransportation, it is only necessary to release the locking bar 51 andswing the back 18 into the case and close the cover 13. When thestereopticon is unfolded or operative, the cover 13 will be closed andthe projection of light will be longitudinally of the case and throughthe projector lens.

The invention exemplifies a stereopticon in which the lamp-house andplate-holder are movable and locked into a definite predeterminedposition, so that when unfolded, the plate-holder will be in focalrelation to the projecting lens. The invention also exemplifies astereopticon which avoids the use of bellows to confine the light and inwhich the carrying-case is utilized for that purpose. The folding andunfolding opera tions are simple and may be easily effected. Theinvention also exemplifies a plate-holder from which a plate is adaptedto be displaced forwardly by another plate and shifted out of focus andto prevent pro ection of the second plate until the operator has removedthe first plate. The parts of the stereopticon are compactly folded intoa comparatively small' carrying case.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what- I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carrying case, aprojecting lens in the case, a lamp-house movably held in the case, aplate-holder adapted to be held in the case, a condenser adapted to beheld in the case, said lamp-house, condenser and plate-holder beingvertically disposed in the case and conjointly movable to asubstantially horizontal position outside of the case, and means tosupport the lamp-house, holder and condenser in a predeterminedsubstantially horizontal operative position.

2. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carrying case havingone of its walls movable, a projecting lens fixedly held in the case, alamp-house mounted on said wall, and a plate-holder adapted to be heldin the case, said wall being movable to the outside of the case to bringthe lamp-house into operative relation to the projector lens.

walls movable, a projecting lens fixedly held in the case, a lamp-houseand condenser mounted on said wall, and a plate-holder movable with thewall, said wall being movable to the outside of the case to bring thelamp-house, condenser and plate-holder into operative relation to theprojector-lens.

5. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carrying case havingone of its walls movable, a projecting lens fixedl held in the case, alamp-house and con enser mounted on said wall, a plate-holder movablewith the wall, said wall being movable to the outside of the case tobring the lamphouse and condenser into operatlve relation to theprojecting lens, and means to lock said wall in a predetermined positionoutside of the case.

6. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carryin -casecomprising a hinged wall forming su stantially the entire back, aprojecting lens in the case, a lamp-house secured to the back andmovable therewith, a condenser and a plate-holder, the back beingmovable to a position outside of the case to bring the holder andcondenser into operative relation to the projector lens.

7. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carryin casecomprising a hinged wall forming su stantially the entire back, aprojecting lens in the case, a lamp house secured to the back andmovable therewith, a condenser, a plate-holder supported on thecondenser; the back being movable to a position outside of the case tobrin the holder and condenser-into operative re ation to the projectorlens, and means to lock the back in such position.

8. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carrying casecomprising a hinged back, a projecting lense in the case, a lamphousesecured to the back and movable therewith, a condenser supported by andmovable with the lamp-house, and a plateholder, the back being movableto a position outside of the case to bring the holder and condenser intooperative relation to the projector lens.

9. In a stereopticon, the combination of a ortable carrying case,comprising a hinged back, a projecting lens in the case, a lamphousesecured to the back and movable therewith, a condenser supported by thelamphouse, a plate-holder supported on the condenser, the backbeingmovable to a position outside of the case tobring the holder andcondenser into operative relation to the projector lens, and means tolock the back in such position.

10. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carrying casecomprising a hinged top, a vhinged back and rigid side, back and front,a projecting lens in the case, a lamphouse secured to the back. andmovable therewith, a condenser also movable with the back, aplate-holder, the back being movable to a position outside of the caseto bring the holder and condenser into operative relation to theprojector lens, the hinged top when open permitting the lamp-house to beunfolded.

11. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carrying casecomprising a hinged top, a hinged back and rigid side, back and front, aprojecting lens in the case, a lamphouse secured to the back and movablethere with, a condenser also movable with the back, a plate-holdermounted on the condenser, the back being movable to a position outsideof the case to bring the holder and condenser into operative relation tothe projector lens, the hinged top when 0 en permittin the lamp-house tobe unfol ed.

12. n a stereopticon, the combination of a lamp-house, a projecting lensand a plateholder comprising devices adapted to en gage the front sidemargins to hold the plate in operative position and formed so they willbe spread apart by forward pressure of the plate so it may be displacedforwardly out of focal relation to the projecting lens the holder havinga space between said devices through which the plate can be removed byforward movement.

13. In a stereopticon, the combination of a lamp-house, a projectinglens, a plateholder comprising devices adapted to engage the front sidemargins to hold the plate inoperative position and formed so they willbe spread apart by forward pressure of the plate so it may be displacedforwardly out of focal relation to the projecting lens, the holderhaving a space between said devices through which the plate can beremoved by forward movement and means in front of the holder to receivea plate so displaced.

14. In a stereopticon, the combination of a case, a lamp-house, aprojecting lens and a plate-holder comprising a pair of devices havinginclined faces for engaging the front margin of the plate, and resillentstrips for supporting, said devices and permitting forward displacementof the plate.

15. In a stereopticon, the combination of a case, a lamp-house, acondenser, a projecting lens, a plate-holder comprising a air of deviceshaving V-shaped surfaces or engaging the front margm of the plate andresilient strips for sup orting said devices to permit forward dispacement of the plate, and means in front of the holder to receive aplate so displaced.

16. In a stereopticon, the combination of a portable carrying-casehaving an open back, a projecting lens fixedly held in the case, alamp-house, a condenser, and a plate holder movably held in the case,and a hinged wall for closing the back, the lamphouse, condenser andplate-holder being projecting lens fixedly held in the case, a 10mounted so they may be shifted through the lamp-house, a condenser, anda plate-holder, open back and supported by the hinged well saidlamp-house, condenser and plate-holder when outside of the case andinoperative being movably sustained in the case and 6 relation to theprojector lens. movable through the open back and sup- 17. In astereopticon, the combination of ported by the back-wall when the latteris 15 a portable carrying-case having an open folded into its open andclosed positions. back and top, a hinged Wall for closing the I back, ahinged cover for closing the top, a HERMAN A. DE VRY.

